Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days - DS

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Summary:

Though they have stayed true to the original premise of the game, they could have made a better game if they dared to improve some aspects and totally make use of the DS’ touch screen. This game is pretty damn good with all that in mind and I would rate it 7 out 10.

7.0

Kingdom Hearts 3582/2 Days is a bit of an in-between, it’s not bad, but it’s not great either. It picks up on a certain event before Kingdom Hearts 2 starts, so it’s a prequel to the game. As a brief overview, Kingdom Hearts is the brainchild of Square Enix and Disney, with a cast that is a mash up of the two completely opposite worlds. Mickey Mouse can totally overturn Cloud Strife in the world of Kingdom Hearts, and it is a fact that we just have to accept if ever you are to play this game.

You play the game as Roxas (who has a striking resemblance to Sora), a nobody. He currently has memory loss (a little surprise there), but he does have a fleeting remembrance of a name, a certain organization called Organixation XIII. As you go through your journey, you will encounter familiar faces as some are Disney characters and some were from the previous Kingdom Hearts releases.

For the first time in the franchise, the game play is broken into separate missions that let you set your own pace in the game while encouraging you explore the vast lands of 358/2. Missions can be found scattered throughout 7 Disney worlds. Certain places increase involvement of the player in the game as the objectives are altered as you are currently playing. A checkpoint save system is used in the game to save your progress. A map is also available and it indicates where the heartless are, saving you the trouble of wandering around aimlessly.

Graphic wise the environment is richly detailed and they match their Disney counterparts in all the right ways. The 3D character models for the DS platform is a remarkable achievement, but not entirely plausible, since jagged edges are still evident and the colors are quite muddy on the clothing. Everything is recycled, especially the audio, and the excitement wears off in tiny amounts until you are left playing with nothing but an empty shell of a great game in another platform.

Though they have stayed true to the original premise of the game, they could have made a better game if they dared to improve some aspects and totally make use of the DS’ touch screen. This game is pretty damn good with all that in mind and I would rate it 7 out 10.